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guys what's the law in the USA (and if anyone knows, in Canada) with respect to running an open wifi router? If you pay for your internet service and you leave
by plg 13y ago
guys what's the law in the USA (and if anyone knows, in Canada) with respect to running an open wifi router? If you pay for your internet service and you leave a wifi router open, are you liable for any activity that occurs?
- dlss 13y agoIANAL, but I'm guessing no. Free wifi is too common to be the sort of thing you're legally liable for. Basically there's no way Panera would give wifi away if that were true.
- ijk 13y agoAh, but that's why Panera and Starbucks have that little click-through agreement absolving them of all responsibility.
- 6d0debc071 13y agoAs far as I'm aware, you can't absolve them of a statutory duty, you don't have the authority. You can only absolve them of things that you could bring to bear against them personally - and even then I know that contract law is complicated enough to make that a dicey proposition.
- coldpie 13y agoAs far as I'm aware, there's no precedent. You could make the argument in court, and I don't know which way it would go. In a civil case (copyright infringement), my guess would be you'd be found responsible unless you could prove through other means that it wasn't you. In a criminal case, perhaps not.